Must be middle admin staff gone mad.
I doubt that, very much. However, I could be wrong. If I'm wrong, the more accurate statement would be that middle admin staff have been allowed to go "mad" (to use your term), thus casting substantial doubt in my mind upon the integrity of the arrangements for the governance of their activities.
It is something that has been niggling at me for ages. I've been trying to define, concisely, the CASA characteristic that is of most concern to the industry.
Over the years, many people have alleged 'corruption' against various people in CASA or CASA generally. But the word 'corruption' has a number of connotations. The word is usually understood to mean actions taken by an individual for the individual's personal gain. But corruption in that sense is a very rare occurrence and, I suggest, not the main cause of the problems about which the aviation industry generally complains.
Then I stumbled across the definition of a different kind of 'corruption', and I had an epiphany:
Noble Cause Corruption.
From Wikipedia:
Noble cause corruption is corruption caused by the adherence to a teleological ethical system, suggesting that people will use unethical or illegal means to attain desirable goals, a result which appears to benefit the greater good. Where traditional corruption is defined by personal gain, noble cause corruptions[sic] forms when someone is convinced of their righteousness, and will do anything within their powers to achieve the desired result. An example of noble cause corruption is police misconduct "committed in the name of good ends" or neglect of due process through “a moral commitment to make the world a safer place to live."
Conditions for such corruption usually occur where individuals feel no administrative accountability, lack morale and leadership, and lose faith in the criminal justice system. These conditions can be compounded by arrogance and weak supervision.
I did not ponder long on who it is that fits these descriptions: "Convinced of their righteousness"; "will do anything within their powers to achieve the desired result"; "committed in the name of good ends"; "a moral commitment to make the world a safer place to live"; "arrogance and weak supervision".
The "safety of air navigation" is such a very,
very noble cause.